This invention relates to a new cultivar of blackberry called xe2x80x98Driscoll Cowlesxe2x80x99. The new cultivar was developed from hybridization of the female cultivar xe2x80x98Sonomaxe2x80x99 (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/772,330) with the unpatented male variety xe2x80x98Loch Nessxe2x80x99. The parents were crossed in 1993 where after fruit and seed were collected to produce seedlings for field planting in Watsonville, Calif. in 1994. The new cultivar was selected in 1995 for its good flavor, large fruit size, fruit firmness and thornless canes. The cultivar has been asexually propagated in Watsonville, Calif. and reproduced true to type plants by in vitro shoot tip culture.
1.1 Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The variety is botanically identified as Rubus L. subgenus Rubus. 
The present invention provides a new and distinct blackberry cultivar named xe2x80x98Driscoll Cowlesxe2x80x99. The variety is botanically identified as Rubus L. subgenus Rubus. The variety is a complex Rubus hybrid, which can be characterized as an erect tetraploid with considerable R. allegheniensis background with other species such as R. trivialis, R. argutus R. procerus, and R. ulmifolious also appearing in its background. The new cultivar produces a floricane crop which begins in mid-July and continues until late September. The new blackberry variety is distinguished from other varieties by a number of characteristics as set forth in Table 1. In particular, the new cultivar is distinguished by its mid-late season of fruit ripening, its large fruit size and its improved flavor.
The variety that we believe to be similar to xe2x80x98Driscoll Cowlesxe2x80x99 from those known to us is xe2x80x98Chesterxe2x80x99, an unpatented variety. xe2x80x98Driscoll Cowlesxe2x80x99 is particularly different from xe2x80x98Olalliexe2x80x99 by being slightly earlier ripening, having larger fruit size and having less acidic flavor. Further detailed comparison of xe2x80x98Driscoll Cowlesxe2x80x99 to xe2x80x98Olalliexe2x80x99 and xe2x80x98Chesterxe2x80x99 is presented in Table1.